Vegan

Vegan Food for Everyone

Veganism is a part of our everyday lifestyle but you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy vegan food. If you are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, carnivore or whatever label you might go by, we have something for everyone. Good food is just that, good food! The vegan food game has changed over the years, and there are countless options available to appease even the pickiest of eaters. If your partner or kids say they don’t like vegan food, some of these items just might change their minds. We are sharing some of our current favorite vegan goodies with you, which just might end up becoming some of your new fav’s too!

Our Current Vegan Crush’s and Obsessions

Vegan Pizza: I have tried quite a few vegan pizzas, and this one became my favorite after the first slice. Sweet Earth knows what they are doing! The crust is made from carrots, cornmeal, and chia. It’s surprisingly different in all the right ways. I top it with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle some Follow Your Heart Parmesan, for a little extra touch. It’s a really delightful and satisfying vegan pizza. I pick mine up at Sprouts. Delish.

Vegan Hot Cheetos: Beanitos Chili Fuego N’ Lime is my go-to chip when I’m craving a spicy crunch. They are what I consider as the “Vegan Hot Chetto” and they hit the spot every time. There are a few major differences between the two the though. Beanitos come with 4g of protein and they are completely dairy free. The beans make me feel less guilty about nearly finishing an entire bag in one sitting. Just the right amount of spicy and ever so crunchy. I have seen these at Sprouts, Whole Foods, and local Dallas health food stores. Try em’ and thank me later.

Vegan Breakfast Burrito: Sweet Earth is making this list again because their food is truly delicious. These burritos warm up great in the oven and in the microwave. These make for easy meals at work too. With some of your favorite hot sauce, you will be in for a treat with this tofu “egg” scramble. They are not the cheapest frozen burrito, so I don’t eat one every day, but I do work them in once a week or so. It’s packed with protein, and will fuel your body with the energy you need to kick your to-do list’s ass!

Vegan Treat: When I pass by these at Sprouts, I can’t help but pick up a package. They are so yummy. They are a sweet treat that you won’t feel guilty about indulging in. They are made from bananas and carrots and are soft baked. I’ve had them for breakfast, an afternoon snack and as dessert. They will make your tummy happy any time of the day.

Vegan Nuggets: These are one of my favorite snacks. They are made from ingredients like spinach, potatoes, onions, quinoa, pea protein, and zucchini. They are a healthy snacking alternative to lots of other common products. Highly recommend these! My toddler nieces even enjoy them! Bonus: they reheat just fine too!

Samosas: These wonderful Indian treats are the best flavors of simple ingredients. Potatoes and green peas wrapped up together in a flaky crust and deep fried. Mmmmm! And all you have to do is take out however many you think you’ll eat, plus one more (trust me) and pop them in the oven!

Rice Ramen: Top Ramen use to be one of my favorite goto snacks before being more mindful of what I eat. Now, I love Lotus Foods individually packaged Rice Ramen. It’s the perfect amount, and if I ever wanna switch up the flavor I’ll add teriyaki or soy sauce and sometimes sesame seed oil.

Baked Crunch Chickpeas: When I’m craving something salty but full of flavor too, these Baked Crunch Chickpeas always come in handy. I found these goodies at the Dollar Store and they had all types of flavors. I am quickly satisfied with about a handful and a half and they must know this because they made the bags resealable. These are great to have in your car for those quick cravings on the go.

Spring Rolls: Another one of my favorite vegan finds at the Dollar Store, Spring Rolls! I buy these in threes LOL. I feel like I can never have enough of these in my freezer. They come in a package of 10 (yea, 10 cents a roll!) and the ingredients are natural. I’ve even baked up a big batch for a vegan party and they were a total hit! Try them with your favorite sauce and you will be in for a tasty treat.

Fruit & Veggies:Good ol’ natural fruit & veggies will ALWAYS be our favorite vegan treat. You can find fruit & veggies everywhere and incorporate them into your meals and snacks easily. Cut up some cucumber slices or a bag of baby carrots for a quick healthy snack or maybe a banana or apple with your morning coffee or tea. As long as you work them into your daily return is all that really matters!

What are Your Favorite Vegan Goodies?!

Tell us what you’re obsessed with so we can become obsessed too! Our fridges always have more room for new vegan finds!

Eat Figs Not Pigs for the Holidays

We teamed up with our wonderful friends at Eat Figs Not Pigs, to discuss how to eat vegan during the holidays. The holidays are times for gathering with friends, family, and feasting together on wonderful food. Of course, not everyone is vegan, so finding a dish to make that everyone can enjoy can be tricky. If you are looking for something new to try this holiday season, maybe think about giving a vegan recipe a shot! Who knows, it just might end up being so good that no one can even tell it’s vegan!

Questions For Eat Figs Not Pigs

BestieTalks : The holidays are tricky as a vegan. I have experienced going to parties where there might be only one or two items that I could eat and most often it was fruits or veggies. I would miss out on that “hearty” part of a holiday meal. Is there a main dish recipe that you would recommend for the upcoming holidays?

Eat Figs Not Pigs : Yes! There are so many, actually! Tofurky, Gardein, and Trader Joe’s all have a “Holiday Roast” that is actually pretty tasty! I usually ditch the gravy packets and make my own (recipe for my mushroom gravy is included with the Holiday Croquettes recipe). You can find these at many local grocery stores and at all Health food stores such as Whole Foods and Sprouts. If faux meats aren’t your thing, stuffed acorn squash is delicious and makes for a beautiful presentation! We actually have a recipe for that on our blog as well! Some other great mains for the Holidays are butternut squash risotto, which we’ll be sharing a recipe for very soon! We also love Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce, Fettuccine with a Creamy Squash or Pumpkin Sauce, Lentil or Mushroom Loaf Wrapped in Puff Pastry with Savory Mushroom Gravy – www.hotforfood.com and www.itdoesnttastelikechicken.com have really tasty recipes for Puff Pastry Wrapped Loaves!

Mac and Cheese – Mississippi Vegan (www.mississippivegan.com) has the FUCKING BEST recipe for mac and cheese I’ve ever had! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Everyone will love this recipe, vegan or not! For some extra texture, I like to sprinkle the top with panko bread crumbs and melted butter and hit it under the broiler for a couple minutes.

Green Bean Casserole – The three years we’ve been vegan, we’ve also had the pleasure of hosting both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our recipe for Green Bean Casserole is a HUGE hit among my meat-eating family. Such a hit, that they make my vegan version over the traditional version now. Ditch that canned mushroom soup and let me show you what REAL green bean casserole is supposed to taste like 🙂

Scalloped Potatoes – Another recipe we have on the blog, and it is very popular! Potatoes are a MUST during the holidays.

Roasted Veggies – With all the starchy foods during the holidays, it’s nice to have some good ol’ roasted veggies. I tend to go for root vegetables during the colder months, but choose whatever veggies you know and love! I like to season mine with a little brown sugar and ginger.

BestieTalks: If I needed a vegan dish last minute without a lot of time to cook or prepare- what would you recommend? A quick and easy recipe to put together or maybe even a store-bought item that could win over a crowd?

Quick & Easy – I really love Daiya boxed mac and cheese! You can find them at most health food stores. Each box feeds maybe 2 people, though…so you may need to buy a few if you’re attending a party with a lot of guests.

Quick & Easy – PASTA! Noodles take only a few minutes to prepare and you can whip up a delicious and creamy sauce in the time the noodles are cooking if you’ve got a good blender! Blend up some cashews, non-dairy milk, canned pumpkin (the real kind, not the stiff for pumpkin pie), sage, garlic, vegan Parmesan, salt and pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth and voila! You’ve got a creamy, herb-y Pumpkin Alfredo sauce that will be sure to wow everyone!

Quick and Easy – Bruschetta! I love Bruschetta, as most people do! You can keep it classic or jazz it up with vegan cream cheese, cranberries or pomegranates, drizzled with some fresh sage and store-bought balsamic glaze.

BestieTalks: What tiny changes could be made to classic holiday dishes that could turn them into a new favorite vegan classic? Like green bean casserole, stuffing, gravy etc.

Eat Figs Not Pigs:So many EASY AF changes you can make to veganize almost any dish! If a recipe calls for butter, buy vegan butter such as Earth Balance or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. Swap regular milk for non-dairy milk such as Almond, Soy, Hemp, Coconut, or Cashew. If a recipe calls for eggs as a binder, there are tons of egg replacements such as Bob’s Red Mill brand, Ener-G, Follow Your Heart, Flax eggs (tons of recipes online), or ground Chia seeds. There is even vegan half-and-half for creamier recipes! All these ingredients are pretty easy to find!

BestieTalks: Every party needs a fun drink! Do you have a favorite drink that you would recommend for a holiday gathering?

Eat Figs Not Pigs: Any drink that gets me drunk is a fun drink, in my opinion. Just kindding (kind of). On the real, though, I know people love egg nog (I personally hate it), so spiked egg nog is a go-to. Even my local grocery store has several brands of vegan egg nog, so it should be easily accessible in most cases! I also love anything cinnamon-y during the holidays, so a Fireball Sangria would be tasty and festive af. Bailey’s also has an Almond Milk Vegan version out now! I always love Bailey’s during the Holidays!

INSTRUCTIONS:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.2. Arrange sliced potatoes in an oven safe dish or cast iron skillet, set aside.3. In a saucepan, heat butter over low heat. Once butter begins to melt, slowly stir in cornstarch, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper until smooth.4. Add onions, shallot, and garlic. Cook on low for another 2-3 minutes.Slowly add non-dairy milk and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the sauce has thickened, about 3-5 minutes.5. Reduce heat to low and add in the cheese cube, stirring until they have formed a creamy “cheese” sauce.6. Pour sauce over the sliced potatoes, cover and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 45 minutes (for extra crispiness and cheesy bubbliness, we broiled them the last five minutes).7. Serve warm garnished with fresh chives.ENJOY!!!

Mushroom Gravy:1. In a small saucepan, melt butter on medium-low heat2. Add mushrooms and saute until most of the moisture has cooked out, about 5-7 minutes3. Add flour and bouillon cube, mixing to combine all the ingredientsSlowly add in water4. Increase heat to high and whisk gravy until it boils lightly and becomes thicker in consistency5. Cover and simmer on very low until ready to serve

Croquettes:1. Prepare vegan eggs according to package directions2. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes until they are very tender and easy to mash3. While potatoes are boiling, melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Saute carrots, onion, celery, and herbs until warmed through and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Add chopped seitan pieces and cook an additional 5-7 minutes. Set mixture aside.4. When potatoes are done boiling, drain them and transfer to a large bow. Mash them with the remaining vegan butter and 1/2 cup unsweetened original almond milk. Mash the potatoes until they are free from clumps and creamy5. Add seitan and herb mixture to the mashed potatoes, along with vegan eggs and 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste, mixing to combine all the ingredients6. Set up your dredging station. In one bowl, add the remaining bread crumbs. In another bowl, add the remaining almond milk. In a third bowl, add the flour7. Form mashed potato mixture into balls (we used about 1 heaping tablespoon of mashed potato mixture to form a ball). Once the balls or “croquettes” are formed, roll them into the flour, then the milk, then the bread crumbs. Make sure for each part of the coating process, you coat each croquette thoroughly. If you want EXTRA crispy croquettes, you can repeat the process one more time.8. Fry the croquettes in oil (350 degrees F) for about 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy9. Serve hot with mushroom gravyENJOY!

Connect and Cook Some Recipes!

We hope you enjoyed this article as much as we enjoyed putting it together. We learned quite a few tips ourselves and we also plan on making these recipes too! Even if you are not vegan, we hope you are inspired to give something new a try this holiday season! Eat Figs Not Pigs has an amazing blog with countless mouthwatering recipes. They are not only amazing chefs but badass women that we are glad to call friends. Connect and follow them for more amazing vegan recipes!

Quick and Easy is My Favorite

Find these at Trader Joe’s!

There are days when I get home from work, and the last thing I want to do is be in the kitchen. I always want to eat, but at times I get lazy, and I don’t want to cook something that requires a lot of effort. If I hit a yoga class after work then I am EXTRA lazy when I get home. I always keep my favorite essentials in the house so I can have something quick and easy to whip up. I also mix and match a lot of my favorite foods, so I don’t get bored eating the same things all the time. This dinner is super easy, and it is mostly hands off. I use my rice cooker every chance I get, but you can make this without a rice cooker as well. The rice cooker is convenient because you can throw all the ingredients in and go and relax for an hour.

Orange Chicken and Jasmine Rice

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes Ready to Grub in 60 minutes

Ingredients

Two cups of Jasmine rice

Vegetable Broth

Vegan or traditional butter

Olive oil

Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning ( Trader Joe’s)

Garlic salt

1 bag of Chicken-Less Mandarin Orange Morsels ( Trader Joe’s) But you can buy any brand you like!

Meatless Options That Will Satisfy

If you are vegetarian, vegan or someone who is just looking for meat substitutes then you know how hard it can be to find products that you truly like. I went vegetarian five years ago and went vegan last summer. Over the years I have tried a lot of substitute meat products and some I hated and others I loved. I am always open to trying new things, but I have my go-to favorites that I always keep my fridge stocked with. People often ask me what I eat besides salads, so I compiled a review of my faves!

Bought, Tested, and Recommended!

1) Gardein mini crispy crab-less cakes! REVIEW: I love these little things! They are best prepared on the stove top so you can brown them on all sides. I cook them a few minutes longer than the directions say because I prefer them a little extra well done. Cook them in a little olive oil. You can top them with everything from lemon, garlic salt, soy sauce to hot sauce. There is no fishy smell or overpowering fishy taste but somehow resembles the taste of crab just right! Cons: None.

2) Gardein chipotle lime crispy fingers: REVIEW: These were a delightful little surprise! I have tried the typical “chicken” fingers, but these came with a nice little coating that baked up very nice. Cook these a few minutes longer on each side if you want more of crispy consistency. Cons: Only downside I can find with this product is that cooking it longer can make it appear/taste slightly dried out. If you are not a fan of crispy, then cook it according to the package directions. If you prefer a little crunch, I found that a squeeze of lemon soaks right up into the meat and gives it back some tenderness. These have made it into my regular grocery pick-up list.

Crab Cakes

Pepared Crab Cakes

Crispy “Chicken” Fingers

The mighty Impossible Burger!

Chicken Fingers w/vegan mac&cheese & green beans!

Looking Good to You Yet?

3) The Impossible Burger: REVIEW: This burger blew me away! I avoided it for awhile because I didn’t know what to expect. It has been over five years since I have had meat and one bite into this burger and all the old memories of what a beef burger tasted like flooded my mind. I have had the impossible on a wheat bun and also wrapped in lettuce, and both ways are super satisfying. I topped this burger with everything from avocado to pico de gallo, and it’s always a hearty meal. Cons: If you are vegan and not a fan of food that even resembles real meat.. then this burger might freak you out. For a second I had to confirm that it was, in fact, the Impossible burger and not a real beef burger. Secondly, I have read that the saturated fat content in these burgers is high due to the coconut oil it is made with as well as higher sodium. Look at this burger as a treat for every now and then not something to consume every day or every week. Click here to find locations in your city that serve this burger.

4) Sweet & Sour Porkless Bites: REVIEW: Yummy! You can cook this on the stove in the pan. For a crisper meal cook these a few minutes longer than the package says. These browned on all sides resemble sweet & sour pork that you can get at a Chinese restaurant. Delicious, quick, and easy to prepare. I don’t like too much sauce so only used some of the sauce but apply to your personal preference. Cons: The skin can “flake” if not cooked long enough. Crispier is always better for vegan meat. Other than that, I’m a fan of these bites. Try these with this turmeric rice recipe!

Yummy!

Sweet & Sour Bites

Pork Bites with turmeric rice!

Soy Chorizo

5) Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo: REVIEW: This was one of my first “fake” meat obsessions. This chorizo indeed resembles the real thing. Throw some into a pan with a little oil and cook all the way through. You can eat this on top of salads, avocado toast, mixed with vegetables, tacos, etc. This stuff is good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Everyone who I have made it for says they can’t believe how much it tastes like real chorizo. It’s a winner in my book and never disappoints. There are other brands, but Trader’s is my favorite! Cons: If you cook it too long it will get just a little too hard after sitting. Try not to overcook this one.

Review Recap

These five products are just the start of my long vegan meat list. I will be doing another review soon of other tasty meats! The great thing about all of these vegan meats is that they are easy to prepare. The Impossible Burger is the most expensive, but it is a treat that is worth the money. The other four products can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Trader Joe’s. Safeway and other stores might carry some but not all of these products. You can get incredibly creative with all of these products. Seasoning and how you cook these substitutes are essential! I hope you found this useful and give some of these a shot! Enjoy and fuel your body with meatless alternatives!

Please share your favorite vegan meat products! Are you game to try any of these?! Please share your thoughts with us, we love hearing from you!

Easy can be Satisfying

Avocado and potatoes are probably two of my favorite things on this planet. They are versatile, can be eaten any time of the day and really won’t break the break. Avocados can be pricey but so can be getting my nails done every two weeks but these are two things I deem necessary in my life so judge me all you want. I give zero fucks if someone doesn’t agree with my need for avocados and manicured digits. If you can relate, virtual high-five! Ok, moving on. I wanted to share this simple recipe because it is great for when you don’t really want to cook, need some good fuel for your body, and want it quickly with easy cleanup. This is a twist on avocado toast. One morning I was pulling out ingredients and thought about putting my avocado on top of a baked hash brown instead of a piece of toast, the result, unbelieve chemistry between a potato & a fruit.

Directions: • Preheat oven and grease baking sheet with coconut oil or non-stick spray • Season hash browns on both sides with pepper, salt, and garlic. • Bake hash browns and breakfast meat according to package bake times. I personally let my hash browns cook just about 8 minutes longer so they get that nice crispy crunch (crispier hash brown holds avocado better) • Prepare your plate with your side of fresh cleaned fruit • I drizzle some of my favorite balsamic vinegar or flavored olive oil on top of the hashbrowns. In addition, hot sauce is great if you prefer something spicy • Top the hash brown with avocado. • Your meat doesn’t need much but to be added to the plate and then you are DONE and ready to eat!